MP3398A

Step up, 4 strings, Max. 350mA/string

Analog and PWM dimming, White LED Controller

DESCRIPTION FEATURES
The MP3398A is a step-up controller with 4
4-String, Max 350mA/String WLED Driver
current channels, which is designed to drive
WLED arrays for large-size LCD-panel 5V to 28V Input Voltage Range
backlighting applications. It is flexible to expand 2.5% Current Matching Accuracy Between
the number of LED channels by two or more Strings
ICs in parallel sharing a single inductive power Programmable Switching Frequency
source. PWM and Analog Dimming Mode
Cascading Capability with a Single Power
The MP3398A uses peak-current mode with Source
fixed switching frequency. The frequency is LED Open and Short LED Protection
programmable by an external setting resistor.
Programmable Over-Voltage Protection
The MP3398A drives an external MOSFET to
Recoverable Thermal Shutdown Protection
boost up the output voltage from a 5V to 28V
input supply. It regulates the current in each Over Current Protection
LED string to the value set by an external Inductor/Diode short Protection
current-setting resistor. Under-Voltage Lockout
SOIC16, TSSOP16-EP and SOIC20
The MP3398A applies 4 internal current Packages
sources for current balance. The current
matching can achieve 2.5% regulation accuracy APPLICATIONS
between strings. Its low regulation voltage on Desktop LCD Flat Panel Displays
LED current sources reduces power loss. Flat Panel Video Displays
The MP3398A can support both analog and 2D/3D LCD TVs and Monitors
PWM dimming independently to meet the All MPS parts are lead-free, halogen free, and adhere to the RoHS directive. For
different dimming-mode request. In addition, MPS green status, please visit MPS website under Quality Assurance.
rich protection modes are also integrated MPS and The Future of Analog IC Technology are Registered Trademarks
of Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
including OCP, OTP, UVP, OVP, LED
short/open protection, inductor/diode short
protection.
The MP3398A is available in SOIC16,
TSSOP16-EP and SOIC20 packages.

TYPICAL APPLICATION

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 STEP UP, 4 STRINGS, MAX. 350MA/STRING ANALOG AND PWM DIMMING, WHITE LED CONTROLLER

ORDERING INFORMATION
Part Number Package Top Marking
MP3398AGS* SOIC16 See Below
MP3398AGF** TSSOP16-EP See Below
MP3398AGY*** SOIC20 See Below

* For Tape & Reel, add suffix Z (e.g. MP3398AGSZ);

** For Tape & Reel, add suffix Z (e.g. MP3398AGFZ);
*** For Tape & Reel, add suffix Z (e.g. MP3398AGYZ);

TOP MARKING (MP3398AGS)

MPS: MPS prefix:

YY: year code;
WW: week code:
MP3398A: part number;
LLLLLLLLL: lot number;

TOP MARKING (MP3398AGF)

MPS: MPS prefix:

YY: year code;
WW: week code:
MP3398A: part number;
LLLLLL: lot number;

TOP MARKING (MP3398AGY)

MPS: MPS prefix:

YY: year code;
WW: week code:
MP3398A: part number;
LLLLLLLLL: lot number;

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 STEP UP, 4 STRINGS, MAX. 350MA/STRING ANALOG AND PWM DIMMING, WHITE LED CONTROLLER

PACKAGE REFERENCE

TOP VIEW TOP VIEW

COMP 1 16 VCC COMP 1 16
VCC

EN 2 15 VIN EN 2 15 VIN

PWM 3 14 GATE PWM 3 14 GATE

GND 4 13 ISENSE GND 4 13 ISENSE

Exposed Pad
OSC 5 12 OVP Connect to GND
OSC 5 12 OVP
ISET 6 11 LED1 6 11
ISET LED1
ADIM 7 10 LED2
ADIM 7 10 LED2
LED4 8 9 LED3
LED4 8 9 LED3

SOIC16 TSSOP16-EP SOIC20

ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM RATINGS (1) Thermal Resistance

VIN ................................................-0.3V to +30V
VGATE ............................................-0.3V to +6.5V
VCC .............................................-0.3V to +6.8V
VLED1 to VLED4 ....................................-1V to +55V
VISENSE ..........................................-0.5V to +6.5V
All Other Pins ................................ 0.3V to VCC
(2)
Continuous Power Dissipation (TA = 25C)
SOIC16 .................................................... 1.56W
TSSOP16-EP2.78W
SOIC20 1.74W
Junction Temperature ...............................150C
Lead Temperature ....................................260C
Storage temperature ................ -60C to +150C
ESD Capability Human Body Mode (all pins)
.................................................................. 3.5kV
(3)
Recommended Operating Conditions
Supply Voltage VIN .............................. 5V to 28V
LED Current (Backlight) ........... 10mA to 350mA
Operating Junction Temp. (TJ). -40C to +125C
(4)
JA JC
SOIC168035....C/W
TSSOP16-EP45.10.C/W
SOIC20 72 ...... 30... C/W
Notes:
1) Exceeding these ratings may damage the device. The voltage
is measured with a 20MHz bandwidth limited oscilloscope.
2) The maximum allowable power dissipation is a function of the
maximum junction temperature TJ (MAX), the junction-to-
ambient thermal resistance JA, and the ambient temperature
TA. The maximum allowable continuous power dissipation at
any ambient temperature is calculated by PD (MAX) = (TJ
(MAX)-TA)/JA. Exceeding the maximum allowable power
dissipation will cause excessive die temperature, and the
regulator will go into thermal shutdown. Internal thermal
shutdown circuitry protects the device from permanent
damage.
3) The device is not guaranteed to function outside of its
operating conditions.
4) Measured on JESD51-7, 4-layer PCB.

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ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (5)

VIN =12V, VEN = 5V, TA = 25C, unless otherwise noted.
Parameters Symbol Condition Min Typ Max Units

Operating Input Voltage VIN 5 28 V

VIN=12V, VEN=5V, no load
Supply Current (Quiescent) IQ 1.2 1.35 1,5 mA
without switching
VIN=12V, VEN=5V, no load
Supply Current (Operation) IOP 3 5.5 mA
with switching
Supply Current (Shutdown) IST VEN=0V, VIN=12V 0.01 0.5 A
VEN=5V, 7V<VIN<28V,
LDO Output Voltage VCC 5.4 6 6.6 V
0<IVCC<10mA
VCC UVLO Threshold VIN_UVLO Rising Edge 3.6 4 4.4 V
VCC UVLO Hysteresis 200 mV
EN High Voltage VEN_HIGH VEN Rising 1.8 V
EN Low Voltage VEN_LOW VEN Falling 0.6 V
STEP-UP CONVERTER
Gate Driver Impedance
VCC=6V,VGATE=6V 4.5 7
(Sourcing)
Gate Driver Impedance
VCC=6V,IGATE=10mA 2.5 5
(Sinking)
ROSC= 115k 459 540 621 kHz
Switching Frequency fSW
ROSC= 374k 150 180 210 kHz
OSC Voltage VOSC 1.20 1.23 1.26 V
Maximum Duty Cycle DMAX 93 %
Cycle By Cycle ISENSE
Max Duty Cycle 145 180 230 mV
Current Limit
COMP Source Current Limit ICOMP SOLI 1V<COMP<1.9V 70 A
COMP Sink Current Limit ICOMP SILI 1V<COMP<1.9V 17 A
COMP Trans-conductance GCOMP ICOMP=10A 400 A/V
CURRENT DIMMING
PWM Input Low Threshold VPWM_LO VPWM Falling 0.75 V
PWM Input High Threshold VPWM_HI VPWM Rising 1.25 V
Analog Dimming Input Low
Adim_L RISET=9.72k 0.38 0.41 0.44 V
Threshold
Analog Dimming Input High
Adim_H 1.44 1.49 1.54 V
Threshold
LED CURRENT REGULATION
ISET Voltage VISET 1.195 1.22 1.245 V
LEDX Average Current ILED RISET=30.5k 31.3 32.3 33.3 mA
(5)
Current Matching ILED=33.2mA 2.5 %
VCC Max Current Limit Icc_Limit 50 75 100 mA
LED FET Resistance R_LED ILED=10mA 1.7

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ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS (continued)

VIN =12V, VEN = 5V, TA = 25C, unless otherwise noted.
Parameters Symbol Condition Min Typ Max Units
ILED=330mA 800 mV
LEDX Regulation Voltage VLEDX
ILED=60mA 285 mV
PROTECTION
OVP(Over Voltage Protection)
VOVP_OV Rising Edge 1.20 1.23 1.26 V
Threshold
OVP(Over Voltage Protection)
Threshold HYS
VOVP_HYS HYS 80 mV
OVP UVLO threshold VOVP_UV Step-up Converter Fails 30 75 120 mV
LEDX UVLO Threshold VLEDX_UV 120 200 280 mV
LEDX Over Voltage Threshold VLEDX_OV 5.8 6.3 6.8 V
LED Short Fault Cycles T_LED_OV 4096
Latch-Off Current Limit VLMT 560 640 720 mV
Thermal Protection Threshold TST 150 C
Thermal Protection Hysteresis 25 C
Notes:
5) Matching is defined as the difference of the maximum to minimum current divided by 2 times average currents.

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TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS

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TYPICAL PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS

VIN = 12V, VOUT = 30V, L = 33H, ILED=120mA/String, 4 strings, TA = 25C, unless otherwise noted.

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TYPICAL PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS (continued)

VIN = 12V, VOUT = 30V, L = 33H, TA = 25C, unless otherwise noted.

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PIN FUNCTIONS
TSSOP16-EP
SOIC20
&SOIC16 Name Description
Pin #
Pin #
Step-up Converter Compensation Pin. This pin compensates the regulation
1 1 COMP
control loop. Connect a ceramic capacitor from COMP to GND.
Enable Control Input. A voltage greater than 1.8V will turn the part on and less
2 2 EN
than 0.6 V will turn the part off. Do not let this pin float.
Input Signal for PWM Brightness Control. By applying a PWM signal on this
pin, the LED current can be chopped and the average current is equal to
Iset*D_dim (I_set is the LED current value set by a resistor connected to PIN
6; D_dim is the duty cycle of the PWM dimming duty cycle). Make sure the
PWM amplitude voltage level > VPWM_HI and the low level voltage < VPWM_HI.
3 3 PWM The input PWM signal frequency mainly determines the LED current dimming
ratio. Lower dimming frequency, smaller dimming current can be gotten. In
general, 200Hz to 2kHz can be used to cover most of the customers LED
current dimming requests. Internally weakly pulled to GND if this pin is floated.
If PWM dimming is not required, pulling this pin to high
voltage(1.25V<Vpwm<5V),
4 5 GND Ground.
Switching Frequency Set. Connect a resistor between OSC and GND to set
the step-up converter switching frequency. The voltage at this pin is regulated
5 7 OSC
to 1.23V. The clock frequency is proportional to the current sourced from this
pin.
LED Current Set. Tie a current-setting resistor from this pin to ground to
program the current in each LED string. This pin voltage is regulated to
6 8 ISET
1.225V. The LED current is proportional to the current through the ISET
resistor.
Signal Input for Analog Brightness Control. The LED current amplitude is
determined by this pin and the input signal can be either a PWM signal or a
DC voltage signal. An internal RC filter (10Mohm resistor and 100pF
capacitor) is integrated to this pin. So, if a PWM signal applied to this
pin, >20kHz frequency is recommended to get a better PWM signal filtering
7 9 ADIM
performance and make sure the amplitude voltage is higher than 1.5V and low
level voltage is less than 0.4V. For DC signal input, please apply a DC input
signal range from 0.4V to 1.5V to linearly set the LED current from 0% to
100%. Internally weakly pulled to GND if this pin is floated. If Analog dimming
is not required, pulling this pin to high voltage(1.54V<Vpwm<5V),
LED String 4 Current Input. This pin is the open-drain output of an internal
8 10 LED4
dimming control switch. Connect the LED String 4 cathode to this pin.
LED String 3 Current Input. This pin is the open-drain output of an internal
9 11 LED3
dimming control switch. Connect the LED String 3 cathode to this pin.
LED String 2 Current Input. This pin is the open-drain output of an internal
10 12 LED2
dimming control switch. Connect the LED String 2 cathode to this pin.
LED String 1 Current Input. This pin is the open-drain output of an internal
11 13 LED1
dimming control switch. Connect the LED String 1 cathode to this pin.
Over-Voltage Protection Input. Connect a resistor divider from output to this
12 14 OVP pin to program the OVP threshold. When this pin voltage reaches 1.23V, the
MP3398A triggers Over Voltage Protection mode.

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 STEP UP, 4 STRINGS, MAX. 350MA/STRING ANALOG AND PWM DIMMING, WHITE LED CONTROLLER

PIN FUNCTIONS (continued)

TSSOP16-EP
SOIC20
&SOIC16 Name Description
Pin #
Pin #
Current Sense Input. During normal operation, this pin senses the
voltage across the external-inductor current-sensing resistor (RSENSE)
13 17 ISENSE for peak-currentmode control and also to limit the inductor current
during every switching cycle. If this pin is not used for cascading
applications, tie this pin to GND; do not let this pin float.
Step-up Converter Power Switch Gate Output. This pin drives the external
14 18 GATE
power N-MOS device.
Supply Input. VIN supplies the power to the chip, as well as the step-up
15 19 VIN converter switch. Drive VIN with a 5V to 28V power source. Must be locally
bypassed.
The Internal 6V Linear Regulator Output. VCC provides power supply for the
16 20 VCC external MOSFET switch gate driver and the internal control circuitry. Bypass
VCC to GND with a ceramic capacitor.
4, 6,
NC No Connect.
15, 16

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 STEP UP, 4 STRINGS, MAX. 350MA/STRING ANALOG AND PWM DIMMING, WHITE LED CONTROLLER

BLOCK DIAGRAM
VCC

VIN Regulator

GND
-
Control
Logic
GATE
+

PWM
Comparator
Current Sense
Amplifier
200 ns
+ ISENSE
Blank Time
-

OV
Comparator
+ OVP
OSC Oscillator
- 1.23V
100ns +
Blanking
-
ILIMIT PWM
+ STOP

-
UP_CLAMP

-
6.3V
Short String
Protection + Max Feedback
Control
- Min
COMP EA
+
Ref
Enable
EN Control
LED1
1.225V +

ISET
Current Control

ADIM

PWM LED4

Figure 1Functional Block Diagram

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 STEP UP, 4 STRINGS, MAX. 350MA/STRING ANALOG AND PWM DIMMING, WHITE LED CONTROLLER
OPERATION
The MP3398A is a step-up converter with peak-
current mode. It employs 4 channels of current
sources to drive up to 4 strings of white LEDs.
Internal 6V Regulator
The MP3398A includes an internal linear
regulator (VCC). When VIN is greater than 6.5V,
this regulator outputs a 6V power supply to the
external MOSFET switch gate driver and the
internal control circuitry. The VCC voltage drops
to 0V when the chip shuts down. The MP3398A
features under-voltage lockout (UVLO). The
chip is disabled until VCC exceeds the UVLO
threshold. The UVLO hysteresis is
approximately 200mV.
System Startup
When enabled, the MP3398A checks the
topology connection first. The chip monitors the
over-voltage protection (OVP) pin to see if the
Schottky diode is not connected or if the boost
output is shorted to GND. An OVP voltage of
less than 75mV will disable the chip. The
MP3398A also checks other safety limits,
including UVLO and over-temperature
protection (OTP), over-current protection after
passing the OVP test. If all the protection tests
pass, the chip then starts boosting the step-up
converter with an internal soft-start.
It is recommended that the enable signal occurs
after the establishment of the input voltage and
PWM dimming signal during the start-up
sequence to avoid large inrush current.
Step-Up Converter
The converter operating frequency is
programmable (from 100kHz to 500kHz) with a
external resistor connected to the OSC pin.
This helps to optimize the size of external
components and the efficiency.
At the beginning of each switching cycle, the
internal clock turns on the external MOSFET (In
normal operation, the minimum turn on time is
200ns). A stabilizing ramp added to the output
of the current sense amplifier prevents sub-
harmonic oscillations for duty cycles greater
than 50 percent. This result is fed into the PWM
comparator. When this resulting voltage
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reaches the output voltage of the error amplifier
(VCOMP) the external MOSFET turns off.
The output voltage of the internal error amplifier
is an amplified signal of the difference between
the reference voltage and the feedback voltage.
The converter automatically chooses the lowest
active LEDX pin voltage to provide a high-
enough bus voltage to power all the LED arrays.
If the feedback voltage drops below the
reference, the output of the error amplifier
increases. This results in more current flowing
through the MOSFET, thus increasing the
power delivered to the output. This forms a
closed loop that regulates the output voltage.
Under light-load operation, especially in the
case of VOUT VIN, the converter runs in
pulse-skipping mode where the MOSFET turns
on for a minimum on-time of approximately
200ns, and then the converter discharges the
power to the output for the remaining period.
The external MOSFET remains off until the
output voltage needs to be boosted again.
Dimming Control
The MP3398A provides two dimming methods:
PWM or analog dimming mode.
For PWM dimming, apply a PWM signal to
PWM pin. The LED current is chopped by this
PWM signal and the average LED current is
equal to Iset*D_dim where D_dim is the duty
cycle of PWM dimming signal and Iset is the
LED current amplitude.
For analog dimming, either a PWM signal or DC
signal can be applied to ADIM pin.
When a PWM signal is applied to ADIM pin, this
signal will be filtered by the internal RC filter.
The LED current amplitude is equal to
Iset*D_Dim where D_dim is the duty cycle of
PWM dimming signal and Iset is the LED
current amplitude. 20kHz or higher PWM signal
is recommended to get the better filtering
performance.
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 STEP UP, 4 STRINGS, MAX. 350MA/STRING ANALOG AND PWM DIMMING, WHITE LED CONTROLLER
When a DC signal is applied to ADIM pin, the
voltage range in 0.4V to 1.5V directly sets the
LED current linearly from 0% to 100%.
Open String Protection
Open string protection is achieved through the
OVP pin and the LED(1 to 4) pins. If one or
more strings are open, the respective LEDX
pins are pulled to ground and the IC keeps
charging the output voltage until it reaches the
over-voltage protection (OVP) threshold. If the
OVP point has been triggered for >4us, the chip
stops switching and marks the strings which
have an LEDX pin voltage lower than 196mV.
Once marked, the remaining LED strings force
the output voltage back into tight regulation.
The string with the largest voltage drop
determines the output regulation.
The MP3398A will always attempt to light at
least one string. If all strings are open, the
MP3398A shuts down the step-up converter.
The strings will remain in this marked state until
the chip reset.
Short String Protection
The MP3398A monitors the LEDX pin voltages
to determine if a short string fault has occurred.
If one or more strings are shorted, the
respective LEDX pins tolerate high voltage
stress. If an LEDX pin voltage is higher than
6.3V, this condition triggers the detection of a
short string. When a short string faults (LEDX
over-voltage fault) keeps for 4096 switching
clocks, the fault string is marked OFF and
disabled. Once a string is marked OFF, it
disconnects from the output voltage loop. The
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marked LED strings shut off completely until the
part restarts. In order to prevent mis-triggering
short LED protection when open LED string or
sharp ADIM, the short LED protection function
is disabled when Vledx of all used LED
channels are higher than 1.5V.
Inductor/Diode short Protection
To prevent the IC and external MOSFET
damage when external inductor is shorted,
MP3398A has the protection mode in two
following methods. When inductor is shorted,
the output can not maintain enough energy to
load the LED and the output voltage will drop.
Thus, the COMP (the error amplifier output)
voltage tends to rise till be clamped high, when
it lasts longer than 512 switching cycles the IC
turns off and latches. In some cases that the
COMP voltage can not be clamped to high
when inductor is shorted, the IC also provides
the protection mode by detecting the current
flowing through power MOSFET. In this mode,
when the current sense voltage across sense
resistor (connected between MOSFET and
GND) hits VLMT limit value and lasts for 4
switching cycles, the IC turns off and latches.
Thermal Shutdown Protection
To prevent the IC operate at exceedingly high
temperature, thermal shutdown is implemented
in this chip by detecting the silicon die
temperature. When the die temperature
exceeds the upper threshold TST, the IC
shutdowns and recovers to normal operation
when die temperature drops below lower
threshold. Typically, the hysteresis value is
25C.
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 STEP UP, 4 STRINGS, MAX. 350MA/STRING ANALOG AND PWM DIMMING, WHITE LED CONTROLLER

APPLICATION INFORMATION
Selecting the Switching Frequency Choose an inductor that does not saturate under
The switching frequency of the step-up converter the worst-case load conditions. Select the
is recommended from 100kHz to 500kHz for minimum inductor value to ensure that the boost
most of application. An oscillator resistor on OSC converter works in continuous conduction mode
pin sets the internal oscillator frequency for the with high efficiency and good EMI performance.
step-up converter according to the below Calculate the required inductance value using the
equation: equation:
VOUT D (1 D)2
67320 L
FSW(kHz) 2 fSW ILOAD
ROSC (k)
VIN
For ROSC=374k, the switching frequency is set D 1
to 180kHz. VOUT

Setting the LED Current Where VIN and VOUT are the input and output
The LED each string current can be set through voltages, fSW is the switching frequency, ILOAD is
the current setting resistor on the ISET pin. the LED load current, and is the efficiency.
The switching current is usually used for the peak
810 1.22V
ILED (mA) current mode control. In order to avoid hitting the
R k current limit, the voltage across the sensing
ISET resistor RSENSE must measure less than 80% of
For RSET=8.2k, the LED current is set to the worst-case current-limit voltage, VSENSE.
120mA. Please do not leave ISET pin open.
0.8 VSENSE
Selecting the Input Capacitor RSENSE
IL(PEAK)
The input capacitor reduces the surge current
drawn from the input supply and the switching VOUT ILOAD VIN (VOUT VIN )
noise from the device. The input capacitor IL(PEAK)
VIN 2 L FSW VOUT
impedance at the switching frequency should be
less than the input source impedance to prevent Where IL(PEAK) is the peak value of the inductor
the high-frequency switching current from current. VSENSE is shown in Figure 2.
passing through to the input. Use ceramic
capacitors with X5R or X7R dielectrics for their
low ESR and small temperature coefficients. For
most applications, use a 4.7F ceramic capacitor
in parallel with a 220F electrolytic capacitor.
Selecting the Inductor and Current Sensing
Resistor
The MP3398A requires an inductor to supply a
higher output voltage while being driven by the
input voltage. A larger value inductor results in
less ripple current, resulting in lower peak
inductor current and reducing stress on the N-
channel MOSFET. However, the larger value Figure 2VSENSE vs Duty Cycle
inductor has a larger physical size, higher series
resistance, and lower saturation current.

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Selecting the Power MOSFET
The MP3398A is capable of driving a wide variety
of N-channel power MOSFETS. The critical
parameters of selection of a MOSFET are:
1. Maximum drain-to-source voltage, VDS(MAX)
2. Maximum current, ID(MAX)
3. On-resistance, RDS(ON)
4. Gate source charge QGS and gate drain
charge QGD
5. Total gate charge, QG
Ideally, the off-state voltage across the MOSFET
is equal to the output voltage. Considering the
voltage spike when it turns off, VDS(MAX) should be
greater than 1.5 times of the output voltage.
The maximum current through the power
MOSFET occurs at the minimum input voltage
and the maximum output power. The maximum
RMS current through the MOSFET is given by
IRMS(MAX) IIN(MAX) DMAX , where:
VOUT VIN(MIN)
DMAX
VOUT
The current rating of the MOSFET should be
greater than 1.5xIRMS
The ON resistance of the MOSFET determines
the conduction loss, which is given by:
2
Pcond IRMS R DS (on) k
Where k is the temperature coefficient of the
MOSFET.
The switching loss is related to QGD and QGS1
which determine the commutation time. QGS1 is
the charge between the threshold voltage and
the plateau voltage when a driver charges the
gate, which can be read in the chart of VGS vs. QG
of the MOSFET datasheet. QGD is the charge
during the plateau voltage. These two
parameters are needed to estimate the turn-on
and turn-off losses.
Q GS1 R G
PSW VDS IIN f SW
VDR VT H
Q GD R G
VDS IIN f SW
VDR VPLT
MP3398A Rev. 1.05
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Where VTH is the threshold voltage, VPLT is the
plateau voltage, RG is the gate resistance, and
VDS is the drain-source voltage. Please note that
calculating the switching loss is the most difficult
part in the loss estimation. The formula above
provides a simplified equation. For more accurate
estimates, the equation becomes much more
complex.
The total gate charge, QG, is used to calculate
the gate drive loss. The expression is
PDR Q G VDR fSW
Where VDR is the drive voltage.
Selecting the Output Capacitor
The output capacitor keeps the output voltage
ripple small and ensures feedback loop stability.
The output capacitor impedance must be low at
the switching frequency. Ceramic capacitors with
X7R dielectrics are recommended for their low
ESR characteristics. For most applications, a
4.7F ceramic capacitor in parallel with a 22F
electrolytic capacitor will suffice.
Setting the Over Voltage Protection
The open string protection is achieved through
the detection of the voltage on the OVP pin. In
some cases, an LED string failure results in the
feedback voltage always zero. The part then
keeps boosting the output voltage higher and
higher. If the output voltage reaches the
programmed OVP threshold, the protection will
be triggered.
To ensure the chip functions properly, select the
resistor values for the OVP resistor divider to
provide an appropriate set voltage. The
recommended OVP point is about 1.1 to 1.2
times higher than the output voltage for normal
operation.
RHIGH
VOVP 1.23 (1 )
RLOW
Selecting Dimming Control Mode
The MP3398A provides two different dimming
methods.
1. Direct PWM Dimming
An external PWM dimming signal is employed to
achieve PWM dimming control. Apply a PWM
dimming signal (in the range of 100Hz to 20kHz)
to the PWM pin. The minimum recommended
www.MonolithicPower.com 15
 STEP UP, 4 STRINGS, MAX. 350MA/STRING ANALOG AND PWM DIMMING, WHITE LED CONTROLLER

amplitude of the PWM signal is 1.5V and the low
level should be less than 0.4V.
Table 1The Range of PWM Dimming Duty
fPWM(Hz) Dmin
100<f200 0.30%
200<f500 0.75%
500<f1k 1.50%
1k<f2k 3.00%
2k<f5k 7.50%
5k<f10k 15.00%
10k<f20k 30.00%
2. Analog Dimming
For analog dimming, apply a PWM signal or a
DC voltage signal to ADIM pin. An internal RC
filter (10Mohm resistor and 100pF capacitor) is
integrated to this pin. So, if a PWM signal applied
to this pin, >20kHz frequency is recommended to
get a better PWM signal filtering performance
and make sure the amplitude voltage is higher
than 1.5V and low level voltage is less than 0.4V
with >15mV/ns slope rate for falling/rising edge.
For DC signal input, please apply a DC input
signal range from 0.4V to 1.5V to linearly set the
LED current from 0% to 100%.
Expanding LED Channels
The MP3398A can expand the number of LED
channels by using two or three MP3398A in
parallel. To connect two MP3398A for a total of 8
LED strings, tie the VCC pins of the master IC
and the slave IC together to power the slave IC
internal logic circuitry. Tie the COMP pins of the
slave IC and the master IC together to regulate
the voltage of all 8 strings LEDs. The slave IC
MOSFET driving signals are not used; the boost
converter can be only driven by the master IC.
Do not leave the ISENSE pin of the slave IC floating;
tie it to ground. Apply the EN and DIM signals to
Dmax
both ICs.
100%
100% Layout Considerations
100% The circuit layout for the MP3398A requires
100% special attention to reduce EMI noise.
100%
The loop from the external MOSFET (M1),
100%
through the output diode (D1) and the output
100%
capacitor (C2, C3) carry a high-frequency pulse
current and must be as small and short as
possible (See Figure 3).
Figure 3Layout Consideration
All logic signals refer to the signal ground. in
order to reduce the noise affection, it is
recommend to separate the power ground(PGND)
and signal ground(GND), then connect PGND
and GND together.

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 STEP UP, 4 STRINGS, MAX. 350MA/STRING ANALOG AND PWM DIMMING, WHITE LED CONTROLLER

TYPICAL APPLICATION CIRCUITS

Figure 4: 4 string, 12 LED in series, 120mA/string application

(Some components are reasonably adjustable based on real case)

MP3398A Rev. 1.05 www.MonolithicPower.com 17

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 STEP UP, 4 STRINGS, MAX. 350MA/STRING ANALOG AND PWM DIMMING, WHITE LED CONTROLLER

PACKAGE INFORMATION
SOIC16

MP3398A Rev. 1.05 www.MonolithicPower.com 18

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 STEP UP, 4 STRINGS, MAX. 350MA/STRING ANALOG AND PWM DIMMING, WHITE LED CONTROLLER
PACKAGE OUTLINE DRAWING FOR 16-TSSOP w/ EXPOSED PADDLE
MF-PO-D-0036 revision 3.0
TSSOP16-EPwith external thermal pad

PIN 1 ID

TOP VIEW RECOMMENDED LAND PATTERN

SEE DETAIL "A"

FRONT VIEW SIDE VIEW

DETAIL "A"

NOTE:

1) ALL DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETERS.

2) PACKAGE LENGTH DOES NOT INCLUDE MOLD
FLASH, PROTRUSION OR GATE BURR.
3) PACKAGE WITDH DOES NOT INCLUDE INTERLEAD
FLASH OR PROTRUSION.
4) LEAD COPLANARITY (BOTTOM OF LEADS AFTER
BOTTOM VIEW FORMING) SHALL BE 0.10 MILLIMETERS MAX.
5) DRAWING CONFORMS TO JEDEC MO-153,
VARIATION ABT.
6) DRAWING IS NOT TO SCALE.

MP3398A Rev. 1.05 www.MonolithicPower.com 19

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 STEP UP, 4 STRINGS, MAX. 350MA/STRING ANALOG AND PWM DIMMING, WHITE LED CONTROLLER

SOIC20
0.496(12.60) 0.024 0.050
0.512(13.00) (0.61) (1.27)
20 11
0.079
(2.00)

0.291 0.394
(7.40) (10.00) 0.370
0.299 0.418 (9.40)
(7.60) (10.60)

PIN 1 ID
1 10

TOP VIEW RECOMMENDED LAND PATTERN

0.093(2.35)
0.104(2.65) 0.009(0.23)
SEATING PLANE
0.013(0.33)
0.013(0.33) 0.050(1.27) 0.004(0.10)
0.020(0.51) BSC 0.012(0.30) SEE DETAIL "A"

FRONT VIEW SIDE VIEW

0.010(0.25)
x 45o NOTE:
0.030(0.75)

GAUGE PLANE 1) CONTROL DIMENSION IS IN INCHES. DIMENSION IN

0.010(0.25) BSC BRACKET IS IN MILLIMETERS.
2) PACKAGE LENGTH DOES NOT INCLUDE MOLD FLASH ,
PROTRUSIONS OR GATE BURRS.
3) PACKAGE WIDTH DOES NOT INCLUDE INTERLEAD FLASH
0.016(0.41) OR PROTRUSIONS.
0o-8o 4) LEAD COPLANARITY(BOTTOM OF LEADS AFTER FORMING)
0.050(1.27)
SHALL BE 0.10 MILLIMETERS MAX.
5) DRAWING CONFORMS TO JEDEC MS-013, VARIATION AC.
DETAIL "A" 6) DRAWING IS NOT TO SCALE.

NOTICE: The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Please contact MPS for current specifications.
Users should warrant and guarantee that third party Intellectual Property rights are not infringed upon when integrating MPS
products into any application. MPS will not assume any legal responsibility for any said applications.

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